Optimization of a VISAR for measuring flyer-plate velocities

Conference · Wed May 06 00:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:5182515

Sweatt, W C; Crump, Jr, O B; Brigham, W P

VISAR (Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector) is commonly used for measuring flyer-plate velocities up to 6 km/s. Flyer plates can travel as much as 1 mm, which is large compared to usual depth-of-focus requirements for VISARs. Flyer plates are explosively driven, or driven by some other very energetic means; as such, they must be tested in a chamber, which will contain the explosion. Routing the laser beam to the chamber and the signal beam to the VISAR can be done safely and easily in multi-mode optical fibers. We have optimized a fiber-coupled VISAR system for measuring flyer-plate velocities. This system given constant signal levels over the full travel of the flyer plate. Furthermore, the signal-collection efficiency is maximized, which allows use of a moderately sized laser. We also have optimized the VISAR cavity so it does not limit the system efficiency while giving a velocity sensitivity of about 1 km/s per fringe. 5 refs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5182515
• Report Number(s): SAND-91-2804C; CONF-920793-3; ON: DE92015010
• Resource Relation: Conference: SPIE symposium on instrumentation for magnetospheric imagery, San Diego, CA (United States), 19-24 Jul 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
INTERFEROMETERS
OPTIMIZATION
PLATES
VELOCITY
MEASURING METHODS
ACCELERATION
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
FIBER OPTICS
IMPACT TESTS
INTERFEROMETRY
OPTICAL FIBERS
FIBERS
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MECHANICAL TESTS
TESTING
420500* - Engineering- Materials Testing
440600 - Optical Instrumentation- (1990-)